Political Quotes

“I yield myself 90 seconds to say that that is an extraordinary bit of illogic we have just heard. The private sector, nothing in the existence of HAMP in any way retards people from going to the private sector. If you listen to the gentlewoman, you would get this fantasy picture that people were being restrained by the Federal Government not to go to the private sector, go to HAMP. In fact, HAMP is also the private sector. That's part of the problem. It is also a private sector decision with no coercion by the government. Some people wish there was more. But, yes, it is true the private sector has done the easy ones on its own. And anybody who wants to go to the private sector and get it does not have to go to HAMP. But there is no requirement that people go to HAMP. And this set-up that it's a choice, you have to go to one or the other, people are free to go to the bank. If the bank won't do it, then they may go to HAMP. So this is an absolutely illogical notion that one blocks the other. The other point is that HAMP is the Federal Government bringing people into contact with the private sector. It is still ultimately a private sector decision. Part of the problem here is that it remains voluntary. I wish we had passed in this House bankruptcy. You know, you can go bankrupt for anything but your primary residence. And my Republican friends overwhelmingly blocked that from happening. And absent that, we don't have the leverage with the private sector we'd like to have.…”